THE Strictly Come Dancing final pulled in 13 million viewers – making it the most watched entertainment show of the year.
The nation was left captivated on Saturday night as Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse took home the Glitterball trophy.
But that’s not the only victory of the night, as the show managed to pull in a massive 13 million viewers.
This made it the most-watched non-news based TV show of 2020, according to a report by the BBC.
In a statement released by the Acting Controller of BBC One Kate Phillips, she said: “Strictly has provided much needed sparkle to our weekends this autumn and last night’s final brought pure joy to over 13 million viewers all over the UK as Bill and Oti lifted the glitterball.”
Bill and Oti beat out stiff competition from singer HRVY, EastEnders actress Maisie Smith and Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing.
The dance partners also made history last night – with the comedian being the oldest ever champion at age 55.
Oti also became the first professional to win the Glitterball two years in a row.
After being announced the winner, Bill said: “It feels surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful. I never thought we would get this far.”
He thanked dance partner Oti Mabuse saying “she turned me into a dancer”.
Oti said to Bill: “I think you are amazing, remarkable.
“You just put your heart into everything, you put your soul into everything.
“You’re in your world, but I love your world. Thank you for being a friend, a father figure to me, a brother and for this (the trophy).”
Bill, who is married to Kristin and has a 17-year-old son Dax, told earlier how the show had changed his life and made him stronger.
He said: “I think that certainly Strictly has added a bit of spice to my day job.
“It gives you a degree of toughness. Dancing live on television in front of millions of people is one of the most nerve-wracking things I think I’ve ever done.
“And I’ve done a few things. I’ve jumped out of planes, I’ve been sky diving, I’ve whitewater rafted, I’ve played in front of thousands of people at rock festivals.
“But this is something totally different. This is out of my comfort zone, into a completely different arena.
“But being able to do it, being able to pull it off, and with some degree of success as well, and not just about getting through it, actually committing fully to the performance, giving it my all, finding the steps and putting a bit of style into it as well, which is something I never expected, is really something special.”
